No one likes to talk about death. This certain event in life cannot be defeated or avoided based upon human accomplishments. Everyone has their own attitude towards death, for themselves personally and for their loved ones.
One attitude is fear. Based upon personal knowledge, they do not know what to expect, which always generates feelings of uneasiness and dread.
The great king of Israel, David, expressed his attitude about death, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…Thou art with me” (Psalms 23:4).
The Thessalonian brethren had the attitude that their loved ones who had died missed out on the return of the Lord. Addressing these concerns, Paul wrote some encouraging, comforting words to this church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Christians today can be comforted by these same words.
Uncertain of his future during his first imprisonment, Paul wrote to the Philippians, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain…But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake (Philippians 1:21-24).
When faced with the certainty of his own death, Paul wrote to Timothy, “…in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Timothy 4:8).
Some might say, “What do you expect from a biblical writer?” However, is it possible for us to have the same attitude towards death as this great man of God? If the Bible is not a book of hope and comfort, especially concerning this very sensitive, emotional subject, then where would one find such comfort?
Recently I received a notice of a friend who is facing death. His relentless cancer has returned and, after trying chemotherapy, his doctors determined there was nothing else they could do.
In response to my very personal note about his circumstances, he wrote, “I AM prepared for the great transition and am so eagerly anticipating the moment – May it be soon.” (Capitalization his.)
While I will miss my friend, I am very happy for his attitude and his future. Having known him and his level of faith in the writings of the New Testament, I have extreme confidence this truly is his attitude.
For the Christian, facing death should not be one of fear, but of joyful anticipation of their next adventure. As the song says, “This world is not my home, I am just a passing through.” This optimistic attitude about death is only natural for those living God’s way.
Carlton G. McPeak is an evangelist working in the Florida Gateway region. All Scriptural quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Holman Bible Publishers, unless otherwise stated.
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